


Eye For an Eye

by TheBigLoserQueen



Series: Office AU [10]
Category: Transformers - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Human, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Alternate Universe - Office, Angst, Arguing, Dysfunctional Family, Dysfunctional Relationships, Family, Family Drama, Fights, Human, Language, Minor Violence, Office, Past Abuse, Past Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Past Child Abuse
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-08-28
Updated: 2015-08-28
Packaged: 2018-04-17 15:55:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,811
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4672571
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheBigLoserQueen/pseuds/TheBigLoserQueen
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Bombrush says the wrong thing to make Bloodshed snap.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Eye For an Eye

**Author's Note:**

  * For [ahunmaster](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ahunmaster/gifts).



Bombrush leaned against the back against the wall of building, not wanting to go back into the office just yet. Starscream was being especially irritating today, so he figured he would just hide out here until the man finally calmed down.   
  
He let out a small huff and closed his eyes, remembering how he ran into Thornstriker at her waitressing job the other day. He had gone out to lunch with his secretary and she had wanted to go to that particular restaurant. Of course, at the time, he had no idea that Thornstriker worked there. But to say it wasn’t a pleasant surprise to see her would have been a lie.  
  
When his secretary went to the restroom, he had been able to strike conversation with her, asking her about her job. Apparently, she only worked part time because she was still going to grad school. And, though Bloodshed had a full time job as a construction worker, they were having some financial issues keeping up with their bills.     
  
Upon hearing that, he immediately wanted to help. He remembered how stressful it was working and paying for housing bills fresh out of college. Not to mention that he had a family and everything to look after as well. He felt the need to help them, which made him pull out his checkbook right then and there. Thornstriker tried to tell him that it wasn’t necessary for him to do that, but he pushed her to take the check anyway. While grateful, she was embarrassed that he gave her such a sum.  
  
He didn’t think it was that much. Only about three thousand. That should have been enough to cover the bills. And maybe he gave them a little luxury money too, but he saw nothing wrong with that. Besides, he had money to spare. Giving away three thousand dollars wasn’t going to hurt him.     
  
Bombrush looked over. There were less people coming into the building and he could see Megatron on the bottom floor, speaking with the security guards, Lugnut and Strika. They were a frightening pair, to say the least, when it came to their hardcore nature and sheer brute strength. Bombrush wasn’t sure exactly where he found those two, but he wasn’t complaining. They did their job quiet well. He just wished they would act a little friendlier to visitors when they came to the building.  
  
Just as he moved from his spot to head inside, he heard from behind him, “Bombrush.”    
  
The CFO froze, perking up at the sound of his name. That voice… No… It couldn’t be. He turned around, eyes widening when he saw his son standing right behind him, looking absolutely livid as he glared at him. Oh shit… Why was he angry?  
  
He turned around completely to his son, who stepped up to him, his expression still hard. Bombrush remained calm though, keeping a straight face as he looked at the younger man. He would have offered him a smile, but he doubted that would have gone over well with the other. Instead, he regarded him with a nod as he turned to him.

“Bloodshed. What brings you here?”  
  
Bloodshed tensed at the question, Bombrush inwardly flinching. His son did not speak to him often and usually when he did, he was in a foul mood and was angry at him. As far as he could tell currently, his son was in a very foul mood.  
  
“You… ran into Thornstriker at her work recently,” he started out slowly, looking up at him as if he was asking for confirmation.   
  
Bombrush nodded. “I did. I went to lunch there with my secretary.”  
  
“And then you gave her a check for three thousand dollars.”  
  
Ah, so this was what it was all about. The money. He wasn’t exactly sure  _why_  Bloodshed would be angry about that. But he remained silent and just gave his son a nod, hoping that he would explain his fury.  
  
“You knew she wouldn’t say no.”  
  
“I didn’t want her to.” Bombrush huffed, rubbing his eyes. “She told me of the financial burdens you two are facing and I merely wanted to help out.”    
  
“Don’t you think three thousand is a bit much?”  
  
“Just enjoy it as a luxury.”  
  
“Bullshit,” he snarled, surprising the other. “You knew that three thousand was much more than enough. And you gave it to her for her own personal benefit. It was a bribe.”  
  
“A bribe?” Bombrush repeated, confused. What was he even talking about?  
  
“I know you want Thornstriker to stay with me more than anything,” he growled. “You would do anything to make sure she stays by my side, even if it means you have to force her through your influence. That money was a bribe. You’re just trying to pay her off.”  
  
His eyes widened at the accusation. He couldn’t be serious. He would never force Thornstriker to remain with Bloodshed! She had agreed to live with him on her own accord! He wouldn’t even think about bribing her! He simply wanted to help with their finances and give them both some extra spending money!    
  
“Bloodshed, you can’t honestly believe that I–”  
  
“You would be surprised what I believe of your actions.” Bloodshed stepped up to him, glaring hard at the other. “You tried to manipulate her into staying with me in the first place, remember?”  
  
“I had only gone to her to hear me out,” he said, quietly. “I made it very clear that what she did was her decision and no one else, including myself, could influence her to do anything she did not want to do. And as far as I’m concern, she  _did_  want to live with you.”  
  
“Cut the crap.”   
  
“Bloodshed, I’m not–”  
  
“We can handle ourselves just fine. We don’t need your help.” He reached into his jacket pocket, pulling out the check that Bombrush had given Thornstriker. Bloodshed simply tore it in half and threw the paper at his feet. “We don’t help from people like you.”  
  
Bombrush looked down at the torn up check on the floor. To say it didn’t hurt him would have been a lie. He had only wanted to help Bloodshed and his friend. In reality, he had been mainly doing it for Bloodshed’s sake. He was his father – he just wanted to help him in any way he could.  
  
But Bloodshed rejected that help. Because Bloodshed hated him. And he had good reason. His childhood had been hell… And he had done nothing to help make it better. If anything, he had probably made it worse.   
  
Bombrush bent down to pick up the fallen, shredded check. As he stood up, he stuffed it down his jacket pocket and said, “I wasn’t doing this as a bribe. I was simply concerned about the two of you.”  
  
“You really expect me to believe you?” Bloodshed growled.   
  
“Why wouldn’t you?”  
  
The younger man’s hands balled up into fists. He wanted to kill him right then and there. Did he forget the hell he had put him through during his childhood?! The verbal, physical, mental abuse… It may have stopped once Pixela died, but that didn’t mean Bombrush wasn’t responsible for ruining his childhood and his innocence. He was only trying to be “kind” and “helpful” to him in order to reveal his own conscience. Bombrush did not love him, just like he did not love Bombrush.  
  
“Have you forgotten what you did to me? You  _ruined_  me.”  
  
Bombrush remained silent on the matter, looking down at his feet.  
  
“Do you not remember how you used to beat me? How you gave me my first black eye  _when I was only eight_?! You really expect me to believe you’re simply doing this to help me?!”  
  
“Bloodshed, I… I’m not like that anymore. I regret everything I did. I never wanted to hurt you… I just…”  
  
“Save it,” he snarled, clearly not believing him. “You’re only acting like a ‘good parent’ now so you can try and forgive yourself. Forgive yourself all you want, but I’m never going to forgive you, you fucking filthy child beater!”  
  
Bombrush inwardly flinched at the insult, hating the fact that it had been true. He had tried to be a good father. And for the first five years of Bloodshed’s life, he had been. But then Pixela had gotten sick and he had started to drink… And then it turned into a cluster-fuck.   
  
“Bloodshed, I know I was awful. And you’re right, I do want to be a good parent now. But I’m not doing this to try and relieve any guilt. I’m sincerely trying to help you!”  
  
“You’re about nineteen years too late. Now you stay out of my business. I don’t need your help and I don’t fucking want it. Thornstriker may be tricked into believing you’re a good man, but I’m not an idiot. I know exactly what you are.”  
  
Bombrush found his anger starting to bubble up inside of him. Yes, he had been an awful parent because of his drinking. But damn it, he was trying! He knew he could not be easily forgiven and he didn’t want to be forgiven! He just wanted to be a good parent and he wanted to be there for his son, to have him rely on him when he needed anything.   
  
But Bloodshed saw his act of kindness as an act of bribery, to try to keep Thornstriker by his side. That was never the intention! He would never force her to live with him if she didn’t want to! He just wanted to help her and his son so they wouldn’t be in debt!   
  
“I’m sorry that my concern for my own son and the love of his life is a nuisance,” he snarled. “I didn’t mean to try and help keep you guys from becoming homeless.”   
  
Bloodshed’s eyes widened in anger. His father didn’t normally talk back when he was angry, only because he knew that Bloodshed was not afraid to punch him like he used to when he was a child. But Bombrush’s temper only had so much of a limit and Bloodshed was very much pushing said limit.   
  
“I would rather be homeless than say I got help from my bastard father, especially when he’s just trying to bribe my friend.”  
  
“Oh, for fuck’s sake! Bloodshed, I am not trying to bribe her! Get it through your mind that I am not doing anything of the sort – I had been merely trying to help you!”  
  
“I know how you work!” Bloodshed all but shouted. “You are nothing but a bastard! A child-beating bastard!”  
  
“I’ve changed! You just never give me the chance to show you! I’m not like that anymore, Bloodshed! Fuck, I  _am_  trying! You just refused to accept me!”  
  
“And why the fuck should I?!”he demanded. “You used to beat me! For no good fucking reason! I should have been able to rely on you, but I was too terrified to even come near you! Why should I believe you’ve changed?! Why should I accept you?!”  
  
“Your mother would have wanted you to.”   
  
Bloodshed’s entire body tensed. He… dared to bring her up in all of this. Even after he made her suffer to. He had no right to even think of her, and here he was – actually  _speaking_  of her, trying to convince him he had changed.   
  
No, he was still the same bastard that used to hit him when he got drunk. That would never change.   
  
“Don’t you  _dare_  speak of her.”  
  
“She was my wife. I can speak of her if I wish to.”  
  
“You’re the reason she’s dead! You drove her to it! She was so sick and miserable…! And it was all your fault! You’re the reason she’s dead!”  
  
“As far as I recall, she didn’t start behaving strangely until you were born!”  
  
They both froze as the words left Bombrush’s mouth. Immediately, the older man bit down on his bottom lip, realizing what he had just said. No, no he didn’t mean that. Pixela’s death was not and would never be Bloodshed’s fault. But how could he even say something has horrible as that, even if he was angry?  
  
Seeing Bloodshed go quiet, his hands clenching so hard his knuckles were white, Bombrush tried to backpedal on his words.  
  
“Wait, Bloodshed, no, I didn’t mean that. I never meant–”  
  
Before Bombrush could finish his sentence, Bloodshed had swung his clenched fist hard into the older man’s face. It hit him straight in the eye and he hadn’t been prepared for it, thus slamming against the side of the building. Before he could do anything else, Bloodshed punched him again, almost breaking his jaw.   
  
Though Bombrush had the strength to fight back, he refused to. He simply put up his arms and remained silent, never wanting to hurt his son in any way ever again. He had done that so much through his childhood. He would be damned if he did it during his adulthood.   
  
“Say that again!” he shouted, punching him again. “I fucking dare you to say that again!”  
  
Bombrush did nothing and said nothing. He had to no right to defend himself. Had he meant what he had said? No, he would never mean it. Should he have still said it? Of course not. He should have never have said it.   
  
Before Bloodshed could get in another punch, Bombrush turned to see Lugnut and Strika, the two head security guards, running out toward the two of them. Lugnut reached Bloodshed first, holding back from his father as he yelled at the man, telling him to get away from the CFO. But Bloodshed just yelled louder, telling him that this was none of his fucking business as he struggled violently and tried to throw Lugnut off of him.   
  
“Get down on the ground!” Lugnut shouted, having trouble restraining the man. “Get on the fucking ground!”   
  
“Get off of me!” he snarled, throwing the larger man off of him.  
  
The action shocked both Lugnut and his partner. No one had been able to throw him off before. Shit, this guy was going to need a lot more to restrain him. Lugnut grabbed at him again, Strika quickly abandoning Bombrush as she had tried to get him into the building. She tried to grab onto the dark-skinned man, also yelling at him to get on the ground.   
  
But Bloodshed wouldn’t have it. He struggled violently against the two strong security guards, letting out every single profanity he knew. Bombrush could only watch, trying to wipe the blood off of him. Even though his son was struggling to free himself, his attention was on him. He looked at Bombrush with such hate, such animosity… It was as if he wanted to kill him.   
  
And for what he had said to him, the young man probably did. That boy loved Pixela so much… To say that Bloodshed had had any fault in her death would of course set him off. It didn’t help that he was already so outraged by the fact Bombrush had given Thornstriker money.  
  
“Damn it!” Strika snarled. Bombrush looked over to see her reach for the taser attached to her belt. His eyes widened. Shit, was that really necessary?! He couldn’t have this!  
  
Shaking off the pain, he grabbed Strika by the shirt and yanked her back. “Don’t you dare use that on him!” he shouted, causing Bloodshed and Lugnut to look at them. “If you do, I will see you fired!”  
  
Her eyes widened in shock. “Bombrush, he–”  
  
“– is my  _son_ ,” he growled. “And if you lay another finger on him, I will you ruin you. Do you understand me?”   
  
Both Lugnut and Strika froze at the confession. This… thug was Bombrush’s son?! The one he talked about often any time family was brought into the discussion?! Primus, from what the older man said, everyone assumed their relationship was a good one! But from they just saw, it was obviously not.  
  
“But he–”  
  
“I don’t care!” he shouted, pushing her back.   
  
Strika could only stare at him, shocked by his violent reaction at her. She had just been doing her job – protecting those within the company! Yet he was acting like she was the one committing the wrong doing!  
  
Bombrush walked up to Lugnut, glaring at him. “Let him go.”  
  
As ordered, the security guard let go of his son and took a few steps back, holding up his hands. Bloodshed fixed his jacket as he gave a harsh look to the other, who just gave a soft huff. “Are you all right?”  
  
“I don’t need your concern.”  
  
“I know. Are you all right?”  
  
“I’m fine.”   
  
“Then has everything been settled?”   
  
The four jerked their heads at the new voice. The two security guards immediately came to the man’s side while Bombrush and Bloodshed could only stare blankly at the man. Though Bloodshed did not work for the company, he could only take a guess as to who this man was in front of him. His eyes narrowed, but he remained silent on the issue.   
  
The company president stepped up to the two men. Well, the boy was certainly Bombrush’s sun. Almost a spitting image of him. But that wasn’t what he was focused on. He was more focused on his CFO’s rather nasty injuries from his son’s assault.  
  
He turned to face Bloodshed and gave him a hard look. Truthfully, he was somewhat impressed by the lack of fear in the other’s face. Normally people would be cowering back by now. Still, he continued to glare at him.   
  
“Unless you have business here, you need to leave,” he said darkly to the young man. “While I can understand the occasional family fight, I will not tolerate such actions here.”  
  
Bloodshed said nothing.  
  
“You will kindly escort yourself off the premises. And you will never bring your family problems here again. Is that understood?”  
  
His hands balled up into fists, but he could only give a nod. 'He couldn’t very well get arrested; Thornstriker would have a fit. The last thing he wanted to do was cause her any stress.   
  
“Good. Now leave.”  
  
Lugnut moved over to escort the man, but the minute he touched his arm, Bloodshed jerked away from him and growled, “I don’t need you to guide me.” Then he looked at his father once more, glaring at him mercilessly.  
  
Bombrush said nothing, only watching as Bloodshed turned his back to him and walked off. He shook his head and huffed, hissing slightly when he felt the side of his face throb. No doubt he was badly injured. Well, his son was incredibly strong… It shouldn’t have been a surprise to him.  
  
“Bombrush, are you all right?”  
  
The older man looked over his CEO, who was looking at him with concern. He nodded. “Don’t worry. I’m perfectly fine.”  
  
“Your swollen eye tells me differently.”  
  
“Then I’ll have to have Knock Out look at it.” He started back into the building, Megatron following him.   
  
“You’re not going say anything about what happened?”  
  
“What do you mean?” he said as they walked inside, moving toward the elevators. He didn’t know why Megatron was asking him about a matter that didn’t concern him. Maybe it was because the younger man, in his own way, did care about him. It was nice, but this matter wasn’t any of his business.  
  
He pressed on the up button to the elevators when he reached them, walking inside as Megatron followed. “Your own son just gave you a black eye… and looked like he cracked your jaw. Shouldn’t you report it?”  
  
“No.” He pressed the button to the ninth floor. It was probably best that he saw the flirtatious doctor now instead of simply waiting around for his injuries to worsen.   
  
The answer surprised Megatron. Bombrush didn’t just take this kind of crap. He had seen the man react violently before. Primus, it was only a about a year ago since that former president of Energon Industry had told Bombrush that he would kill Megatron and Bombrush would have put the man in the morgue if no one had stopped him.   
  
Yet, that man didn’t even touch him. His son, however, had been, quite literally, beating him up. It was his son, yes, but how could he have not have reacted?!   
  
“Bombrush, you’re just going to let him–”  
  
“Megatron, enough,” he said sternly, glaring at the younger man. “This family affair is my own. I am not reporting this because Bloodshed… had his right to react the way he had.” Then he shook his head as the elevator door open to his floor. He looked at the other and said, “This is my own personal business. Stay out of it. Please.”   
  
Megatron said nothing. Really, what could he say? Besides, he had told Bombrush the same thing when they were younger and Bombrush was asking about his childhood. Though he had opened up to him a little bit, there were still things the older man didn’t know. Because it wasn’t his business.  
  
He had to respect the older man’s request, because Bombrush had respected his all those years ago. He huffed and nodded.  
  
“Thank you.”   
  
Then he turned away from the closing elevator doors, walking down toward Knock Out’s office. Slowly, he reached up and touched his eye. He hissed, feeling how swollen it had gotten. Primus, Bloodshed certainly got in a good punch…  
  
Bloodshed. He huffed. He would not blame him for this. He never should have said what he had said. He probably shouldn’t have given Thornstriker the money either. Then the younger man would have had no reason to be so upset and no reason to come down here.   
  
But he had been only trying to help. He just wanted to be a good father.  
  
Perhaps it was too late for that, though. Bloodshed did not want him to be a good father now. The boy probably wished he didn’t have him as a father. Had he had done things differently when Bloodshed was a child, things would be different. Bloodshed would not hate him. Bloodshed would not see him as a monster.  
  
But that was what he had been. An abusive, drunken monster. He tried to make up for it now, but that did not change the past. Both he and Bloodshed knew this. But unlike him, Bloodshed could not see him for what he was now.   
  
He touched his eye again, hissing once more.  
  
This was his punishment for being a horrid father. A punishment he rightfully deserved. That was why he would never fight back against. That was why he would never report things such as this. Because he had done the same thing. An eye for an eye, so to speak.   
  
A rightfully deserved eye for an eye.


End file.
